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Patented Nov. 1l, 1884.

INVENTOR; lr Ww., By his .difforme/y.;

WITNESSES:

N. PLTERs Pmmmmognplwr. wnmmgmn, D. C.

UivrTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES V. IVEISS, OF BROOKLYN, NEr YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE VEISS MANUEAOTURITG COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTROPHORUS FOR lGNlTlNG GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming par?. of Letters Patent No. 307,823, dated November l1, 1884.

Application filed November 33, lSSS.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CHAELEs W. WEiss, a `citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain Improvements in an Elfetrophorus for Igniting Gas, of which the tollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates to that class 01"' gaslighting apparatus wherein an electric spark 1o is produced by friction between a resinous and a metal plate.

The novel i'eatures of the invention relate in part to the particular metal I employ to forni a trictional surface for the resinous plate to [5 iinpinge upon and move over, and in part to the peculiar construction ofthe apparatus, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate iny invention, Figure l is a vertical mid-section of the apparatus shown as mounted iXedly on a gas bracket or tip. Fig. 2 is a i'ront Aview ot' the saine. Fig. 3 is a plan. Figs. et, 5, and G are fragmentary sectional views illustrating modifications. These will be particularly described hereinafter.

I have herein shown my apparatus as connected with a gas tip or burner adapted to be screwed onto t-he bracket where the ordinary tip is now attached. This, however, is not absolutely necessary, as my electrophorus ina y be applied to a torch for lighting.

A represents an ordinary burner-tip, and B a pipe which screws onto the gas-bracket. To this pipe the electrophorus is attached.

The latter comprises a box or ease, whcreoll u. is the metal 'iront plate, b the metal back plate, and c a drum or hoop ot' some insulating inaterial-as hard rubber or O'lass. I have shown the metal plates a and I) as screwed directly onto the drum 0, but they may be attached in any goed way. On the inner face of the back plate, I), is mounted, by preference, a layer ot' some sott fabric-as niuslin or leather-d, and on this fabric is mounted a plate of lead, o, to provide a frictional surfaceto receive the resinous plate. This latter plate7 g, is'inade, by preference, from hard rubber, and it is attachcd to an axial metal stein, 7l., which passes through a stutfingbox in the front plate, c, and its outer end is provided with a cross- (Xo model.)

handle or thu1nb-piece. t', by which the resinous plate is rotated and lifted. The resinous plate g is held in contact with the leaden plate c by means ot' a. spriug,j, of any kind, arranged between the said plate c and the plate o of the case; and in order that the plate f/ may be first rotated slightly and then lifted from the lead plate by one rotatory operation of the thumb-piece i, I provide a hollow plug, k, which screws into the Aaperture in the front 6o plate. c, onto a suitable packing, Z, thus forming a stalling-box i'or the stem 71. The thumbpiecefi rests, normally, between two inclined projections or cams, m m, on or forming a part of the plug 7.'. One side of these is inclined 65 and the other side is perpendicular. Therefore when the thumb-piece t' is turned, the iirst movement is simply that of rotation; but when the lower faces ot' the piece t' strike thc inclined faces ot' the projections Im m, the rota- 7o tion continues; but the thumb-piece rides up the inclines, lifts the resinous plate from the lead plate, and compresses spring j. A continuation ot' the rotation causes the thumbpiece to pass over the cams m, when the spring draws it back to its normal position. (Shown in Eig. 2.) In Eig. 3 the thunilrpiece is shown partly turned around and riding up the inclines on on.

ln applying my device for igniting the gas, 8o the spark is produced between the metallic points a and o, arranged over the burner-tip or nipple fr. The il'ornie is attached to the back plate,t, and is electrically connected with this plate and the lead `triciion-plate thereon, and the latter, o, is attached to the pipe B, and is electrically connected with the resinous plate g and the ground through the various conducting parts. The tlanged it'oot ot the stein h is connected to the resinous plate '9o g by metal screws or rivets p, and these are relied on to i'orm the necessary metallic conneetion between plate Z) and the earth. Other means may, however, be provided vt'or this purpose. It is not necessary that the gas be turned on by thc saine means that produces the spark. The gas-cock may be entirely separate and the gas be turned on bct'ore the spark is produced; but tor convenience I preter to employ the m aus I will now describe, 10o

i should contact to the vt'ullest extent possible.

or some equivalent device, l'or turning on the gas and producing the spark by one movement, and nearly simultaneously.

Referring to l and 2, q represents the gaspassage in IE, (shown in dottedlines,) leading to the burner A, and 1' an ordinary gascocl; with. a thumb-piece, Projecting parts 'L on the thumb-piece fi contact with the wing oi' the thumb-piece s, and the first movementot'fi serves to turn the gas-cool; so as to let on a little gas. The l'urther movement oi' `l', as bel'ore described, produces the spark and ignites the gas. rihc latter may now be turned on ilull-head, il' desired.

As I have said, one very important leature ol` my invention is the employment oi" the metal, lead, lor the Al'rietional plate on the insulated metal plate B o the electrophorus. lfIeretolbre, so l'ar as fl am aware, this metal has not been employed tor this purpose. Usually the metal plate has been covered with leather to l'orm a l'rictional suri'ace I'or the i resinous plate to impinge on and play over. I find that by employing lead i'or this purpose I am enabled to produce the necessary spark with a circular plate ot' one inch diameter, while with a leather or other metal surl'ace the plate must be much larger-say l'our inches in diameter. Tin-'toil containing` considerable lead answers tolerably well, but its value increases with the lead it contains. l iind pure lead to be the best and to possess distinct characteristics.

In order that the iesinous plate may ad j ust itseli' to the lead plate, l usually back the latter, as shown iu Fig. l, with a layer ol:` some sol't material, which serves as a sort oi' cushion; but I may secure the lead direetl to the back plate, b, as shown in Fig. ist, and dress its l'aee oft' truly to lit the resinous plate; or I may also make the entireback plate, b, oi' lead, as shown in Iiig. 5. I pre'l'er, however, te make the back plate ol' some harder metal.

rlhe irietional laces ol' the resinous aud lead I plates may be plane, as shown, or maybe concave-convex, as shown in Fig. il, it' desired. It is only important that the l'rictional surfaces ln lieu oli' the projections l on the thumbpiece 'i ol` the gas-cock, any portion ol' said thumb-piece may be inade to `engage the tinnnb-pieee on the gas-cock.

rIhe details ol' construction connected with the operation ot the gas-burner, d'c., are not claimed herein, as they form the subjeet-mat ter ot` a separate application filed as a division hereol' March l2, 188i, and having the Serial No. 123,951..

I claim as my invention l. An electrophorus the metallic plate ol' which has a l'rictional surl'ace ol" lead or lead alloy l'or the resinousplatc toimpinge against, substantially as set il'orth.

2. An elcetrophorus having a yielding l'rietional sur lace ol' lead or lead alloy l'or the resinous plate to i mpinge against, substantially as described.

f3. An eleetrophorus in which the l'rictional surlace et the metallic or positive plate is mounted upon or supported by a llexible or l yielding substance or material, substantially as and for the purpose described.

An eleetrophorus the metallic plate ol which is provided with a rictional plate o'll lead or lead alloy, and a cushion ol' some sol't material7 as cloth or leather, interposed betweenthe l'rietional plate and the said metallie plate, substantially as set 'l"orth.

In an eleetrophorus, the combination, with the hermetically-sealed case, oli' the two generatiiig-plates inclosed therein, one con sisting ot a metallic plate having a surface oll lead or lead alloy, and the other a plate ol' vulcanized rubber attached by means ol' metallic screws to a metal plate l'orming a backing, togetheil with means l'or operating the said plates Vl'roln the outside ol' the ease, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my .name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

UIli/XRIJCS Il". XVIGISS.

lYitnesses:

ARTHUR C. limsi-1n, HENRY CoNNn'r'r. 

